Monday, October 27, 2008
With all eyes focused on high-profile candidates in elections this year, residence halls Lewis and Templin have initiated a debate among students on the top 10 influential Americans. The discussion will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Gridiron Room of the Burge Union.
The idea for the discussion originated from a Discovery Channel special called “The Greatest American,” a program that named the top 100 Americans. The Lewis and Templin staff created a modified version by first taking the votes of students from Daisy Hill and Oliver residence halls to narrow down the list to the top 25. From there, a campus-wide vote was conducted in front of Wescoe Hall, which reduced the list to 10. The final five will be voted on online until Tuesday and the results will be released at the event.
Top 10 Most Influential Americans to vote on
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Benjamin Franklin
Walt Disney
Albert Einstein
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Oprah Winfrey
Bill Gates
Amelia Bray, Kansas City junior and resident assistant in Templin Hall, said the resident assistants and Cody Charles, complex director for both Lewis and Templin, had worked on the event since September.
“We decided to take out a lot of the contemporary figures the Discovery Channel had listed to narrow it down a bit more,” Bray said.
The goal, Bray said, was to get students to decide who were the most influential Americans, whether they were contemporary or historical figures, dead or alive.
Bray said she voted for the more historical figures because she said they took precedence over contemporary figures.
“Those people will never fall out of our history books,” Bray said.
She said after she voted, she regretted not voting for one influential contemporary figure — Walt Disney.
“He has had a huge influence on our culture,” Bray said. “He didn’t write the Declaration of Independence, but he has had more influence on economics and how people see America.”
The top five most influential Americans will be discussed and debated on Tuesday and students will discuss whether they support the most chosen American.
Bray said five members of the University debate team will also assist students with voicing their opinions during the discussion.
“I think it’s a good idea to have more experienced individuals there to get the ball rolling,” Bray said. “Then the pressure is not all on the students and they are more receptive to coming.”
Mark Marquez, Kansas City junior and resident assistant for Lewis Hall, said it was important for students to voice their opinions on who they thought was the most influential American.
“Everyone has different opinions on who has shaped the country we live in today,” Marquez said. “That’s why we’re having the forum.”
Bray said that she thought the forum was especially important during the election year.
“We want to know why people think about the skills these people have and as leaders how they influence us as Americans and KU students,” Bray said. “What do students value in our leaders?”
Daniel DeJong, Overland Park junior and resident assistant for Templin Hall, said it wasn’t about the individual people on the list, but was more about getting students to think about the process as a whole, especially with the upcoming elections.
“It’s about what kind of things are important in our country and what really matters in the long run,” DeJong said.
DeJong said voting online should continue until Tuesday afternoon. To vote, visit http://groups.ku.edu/~greatestamerican.
— — Edited by Rachel Burchfield
Students vote on greatest American movie
Lewis and Templin halls get students involved with a project to discuss ...
Votes are in for greatest movie
The winning movie will play at 8 tonight in the Kansas Union.
Templin pumps its pride
Laura Remington, assistant complex director said the week is to express appreciation ...
Lewis to hold luau festivities
Residence hall redos down the road
Oliver Hall, McCollum Hall, GSP-Corbin Hall and Jayhawker Towers remain without renovations.
Brown: Politicians not worthy of enthusism
The 2008 candidates need more than empty words to gain cultural influence
Kenneth L. Stoner Awards honor student housing ...
27 student housing staff and students received awards Sunday night for involvement ...
Know your Student Senate candidates
Learn more about the candidates for Student Senate
Dorm residents affected by magazine scam
Students in Templin and Lewis Residence Halls filed non-criminal offense reports after ...
New security system in place at residence ...
The Department of Student Housing’s new card-scanning system will require students to ...
A sobering conversation
University struggles to address the complexities of alcohol policy in the wake ...
Wireless Internet hits residence halls
The first phase of Information Services’ plan to add wireless access to ...
GSP could be coed
GSP, now an all-female residence hall, could become home to male students
Man suspected of raping University student arrested
A 20-year old Wichita resident was arrested last Tuesday in Pratt County ...
Students feel the effects of Daisy Hill ...
Students struggle to start their day without electricity.
Students react to power outage on Daisy ...
Students adapted as Daisy Hill lost power Wednesday evening.
Lawrence packs a paranormal punch
Despite not being included in most haunted list, Lawrence has a ghostly ...
Pipes in McCollum Hall cause issues
Rennovations to fix the pipes and mold are set for 2013.
Student housing, ResNet propose increased fees
Scholarship hall students met Tuesday with the Department of Student Housing and ...
Quality education, not athletic victories, has increased ...
Officials say that high academic standards and affordable prices are the reason ...
KU Little publishes second issue
Student housing will distribute the magazine tonight.
Alcohol related deaths could impact dorm privacy
Change to policy could eliminate need for search warrants in dorms.
Hall’s first resident returns
Noted Chinese director visits campus
Chen Shi-Zheng will be working with theatre and film students and discussing ...
KU helps relieve Hurricane Katrina victims
KU museum up for top tourist recognition
Spencer Museum of Art competes to be a top tourist destination on ...
Residence halls join sustainability contest
On-campus residence halls compete against student housing at Kansas State University as ...
Leaving a lasting legacy
As Hemenway prepares to retire, he and others look back at how ...
Douglas County sees only slight increase in ...
The number of registered voters is up 27 percent, but only 5 ...
Hemenway dedicates new scholarship hall
Alumnus names the new all-male scholarship hall after his parents, Floyd H. ...
Panel answers racial questions
“Ask a Black Person a Question” helps to clarify between the acceptable ...
Coalitions offer their platforms to campus
ConnectKU, Students of Liberty, and United Students hope to appeal to students ...
Hashinger to get face lift
Campus safety measures increase
Residence hall upgrades have brought a number of additional safety provisions.
Who you gonna call?
A reporter’s search for the paranormal turns up some interesting information and ...
Men's Cross Country places third
Kansas placed behind Colorado and Texas in Big 12 Championships. The race ...
Student Senate Profile: Doug Brady
A profile of Freshman Student Senator Doug Brady.
Dole Institute study groups coordinate with classes
The initiative encourages student participation with the option for professors to include ...
Students experience living on campus
Students should expect to make some adjustments to a new environment when ...
Trapped in a game
Students who encounter video game addiction could face job loss, poor grades, ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID